Hinge



Nov. l2, 1935. E. w. NORTH HINGE Filed Feb. 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EcuzZI/A/OTW,

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Nom l2, 1935. E, w. NORTH 2,020,695

A HINGE Filed Feb. 4, 1935 2 sheets-sheet 2 7 Z -15, a@ do NNN N ,mw S

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Patented Nov. 12, 1935 PATENT OFFIQE HINGE Edwin W. North, Rockford, Ill., assignor to National Lock Co., Rockford, lll., a corporation of Delaware Application February 4, 1935, Serial No. 4,797

6 Claims.

This invention relates to hinges and, while capable of many uses, is particularly adapted for a refrigerator door hinge. The invention of this application is an improvement upon my copending application Serial No. 742,561, filed September li, 1934.

The principal purposes' of my invention are to provide a hinge which will be strong and substantial and capable of -carrying heavy swinging doors such as refrigerator doors, and which will be of attractive design and so constructed as to expose a minimum amount of its surface to View, and which furthermore will present the appearance of strength and substantiality while at the same time being very economical to manufacture.

Other purposes and advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View through a refrigerator equipped with one of my novel hinges;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the hinge shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the base member;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of hinge;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the hinge shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7

Referring to the drawings more in detail, and particularly Figs. l to 5 thereof, reference character I I indicates the door post of a refrigerator cabinet to which the refrigerator door l2 is hinged, the sealing strip I3 and other detailed features of the cabinet being of any well known or preferred construction. The door is preferably provided on its outer face with a. supporting plate I4 secured to the door proper by screws I5 and provided with tapped openings for the reception of screws or bolts I6 by which the leaf of my improved hinge is attached thereto, this structure being all enclosed within the shell or iront wall Il of the door.

The hinge constituting my invention comprises a base I8 having a iiat attaching portion provided (Cl. Iii- 148) with openings I9 for' the reception of screws 2| by which the base is attached to the door post, as indicated in Fig. 1. The ends of the base project outwardly from the flat portion as indicated at 22 and 23, these end portions being pro- 5 vided with bearing openings adapted to accommodate the hinge pintles, as will be later described.

A iiat leaf 2li, the outer end oi which is secured to the plate I4 by the screws I5 as pre- 10 viously described, is provided with a pair of spaced apart knuckles 25 disposed at opposite ends of the base and aligned with the bearing openings in the end portions 22 and 23. Each knuckle is equipped with a pintle 26 extending therel5 through, the portion embraced by the knuckle being roughened as shown to frictionally engage and be closely embraced by the knuckle so that the pintle will turn therewith. One smooth end of each pintle extends into the bearing opening 20 in the opposed end portion of the base, thereby affording a pivotal connection between the base and the leaf. The opposite end of each pintle which projects outwardly from the knuckle is v also fluted or otherwise roughened, as indicated 25 at 21, for the drive t and frlctional attachment thereto of a hinge tip 28.

These tips may be made of any suitable material, but in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, they are made of moldable material 30 such as bakelite, for instance, and are shaped to loosely surround the knuckle 25 and to provide a bore or socket adapted to snugly receive the pintle end 2'! so that the tip is thereby held in position. 35

The tip also is provided with a radial extension 29 of grooved formation'to iit over that portion of the leaf adjacent the knuckle 25 so that the exposed edge of the leaf is covered and concealed by this extension, while the sides are covered and 40 enclosed between the 4side walls 3| and 32 of the extension. The tips, therefore, serve as the ends of the hinge and enclose and protect the projecting and otherwise exposed portions of the leaf as well as the knuckles of the hinge.

For purposes of economy in material, the attaching portion of the base I8 is preferably rev cessed between the screw openings I9 as indicated at 33 in Fig. 5. The base member is enclosed and protected, and also obscured from view, by a cover plate 3d of metal or similar material, which is substantially U-shaped in cross-section and adapted to fit over and embrace the sides of the base member to which it is secured by the resilient clamping action of the legs of the cover. Preferably also the ends of the cover are slightly inturne-d as indicated at 35 to insure against longitudinal displacement of the cover. For wear purposes and to facilitate ease of operation, Washers 36 are interposed between the ends of the base member and the opposed knuckles, as shown in Fig. 4.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, is similar to that previously described insofar as the leaf and base members are concerned. In this instance, however, the pintle pins which are indicated by reference character 215 do not extend outwardly beyond the knuckles 25, but are simply anchored in the knuckles as in the manner previously explained. The tips Ell in this instance instead of being made of moldable composition are made of metal. Each tip covers a knuckle and extends downwardly around an annular shoulder 3l provided at the ends of the base member. These tips also are equipped with radial extensions 29 which embrace and cover the projecting portions of the leaf and are secured to the leaf by rivets 33, or other suitable fastening means.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that my improved hinge provides a structure which is strong and durable, which presents a very pleasing external appearance, and which can be economically produced. The various details illustrated and described are obviously capable of considerable modification within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim: i

l. A hinge comprising a leaf provided with spaced bearing knuckles, a base disposed between said knuckles, aligned pintles carried by said knuckles-and extending into bearing openings in the end portions of said base for pivotally connecting the leaf and base, a bearing washer between each knuckle and the opposed base portion, and a tip secured to each pintle and shaped to enclose the knuckle by which said pintle is carried and also a portion of the leaf projecting therefrom.

2. A hinge comprising a leaf provided with spaced bearing knuckles, a base disposed between said knuckles and having end portions provided with bearing openings aligned with said knuckles, pintles extending through said knuckles into said openings to afford pivotal connections between said leaf and base, and a tip carried by each pintle, each tip being shaped to enclose a knuckle and 5 the outer edge and sides of a portion of said leaf.

3. A hinge comprising a leaf provided with spaced bearing knuckles, abase between said knuckles having bearing openings in its ends, pintles projecting through said knuckles into said openings to provide a pivotal connection between sai-d base and leaf, a bearing washer between each knuckle and said base, and a pair of tips shaped to enclose a knuckle and having a grooved projection adapted to receive and cover a portion of said leaf.

ll. A hinge comprising a leaf provided with a plurality of knuckles, a base provided with bearing openinga'pintles carried by sai-d knuckles and extending into said openings to provide a pivotal connection between said leaf and base, and a plurality of tips each comprising a circular portion enclosing a knuckle and a radially projecting .slotted portion covering a portion of saidV leaf.

5. A hinge comprising a base provided with bearing openings, a leaf provided with knuckles aligne-d with said openings, pintles projecting from said knuckles into said openings'to pivotally connect the base and leaf together, and a pair of end tips each comprising a circular portion and a radially projecting grooved portion adapted to fit over and cover a knuckle and an adjacent portion of said leaf.

6. A hinge comprising a flat central attaching portion provided with screw openings and out- 3 wardly projecting end portions provided with bearing openings, a leaf provided with knuckles aligned with said bearing openings, pintles carried by the knuckles and extending into said bearing openings to pivotally connect the leaf 4G and base together, tip members each shaped to surround and enclose a knuckle and having a, radially projecting portion for covering an adjacent part of the leaf, and a removable cover enclosing said base.

EDWIN W. NORTH. 

